Making your job work for you

I used to always hear about strategies and methods that would allow people to fit into their jobs better. They would be endlessly focused on changing themselves so they could be more successful themselves. And I was one of these people.I started my career as a scientist and my job was to repeat the same experiment over and over to gather data. Like most experiments the key to doing this was to leave all other variables the same, so you could isolate the hypothesis you were trying to prove. I would come to work, say hello to everyone, and then suit up and go into the lab and repeat exactly what I did yesterday. Before long I was miserable. I am a social person and the lack of human interaction was driving me crazy. Top that off with the fact that I would become bored, lose focus and mess up some factor of the experiment meant that I would get less done in a day. After a short while it became clear that I wasn't meshing with my career choice--despite my deep love for science.When people are in roles that don't suit who they are they tend to be less effective. While I didn't get fired from my scientist position, I certainly wasn't the best performer. It is important that the you find a position that aligns with what you care about. Not sure about your skills? Don't be afraid to ask your friends and family "what am I good at?" If you ask the question sincerely you will get honest answers back, and some might even surprise you. Make a list of the things that you are passionate about. Make a list of the things you love doing on your job. Once you understand what are your talents, and you can articulate the things you love doing--it will help guide you. Finding a path where you can cater to your strengths will make you much more successful and will get you noticed.Just like my grandfather always used to say to me "Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life."